Increasing numbers of Americans are riding bicycles on a daily basis. Some people are riding bicycles for their health, others are riding to help reduce air pollution and improve the environment. Regardless of the reason for bicycling, however, it is the bicycle rider's legs and lower body which are active and do all the work while the person is riding the bike. This can have the result that the person peddling the bicycle will become fatigued, and will only exercise their legs rather than their entire body while bicycling. Also, at times, both foot power and hand power would be useful in traveling uphill.
Bicycles having a hand driving apparatus are known in the art. One of the earliest of these patents is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 571,051 to Pettinati issued on Nov. 10, 1896. In Pettinati an auxiliary handlebar is provided which pivots about a point attached to the frame of the bicycle, and is connected through a lever to the crank of the bicycle, permitting the bicycle rider to power the bicycle with their legs and arms.
Another early approach to hand powering a bicycle is disclosed in French Patent No. 658,967 to Ferri issued on Jun. 22, 1929. Ferri teaches a bicycle having a pair of handle levers pivotally mounted on a bicycle frame, and connected by a second lever to the pedals of the bicycle to augment the bicycle rider's use of his or her legs for powering the bicycle. However, and unlike Pettinati, the patent to Ferri teaches a bicycle in which the hand driving device serves as a substitute for the bicycle handlebars.
Another early hand powered bicycle is disclosed in British Patent No. 8247 to Horton. In Horton a bicycle is disclosed which has a pair of handle bars and a hand powered assembly attached to the frame and the pedals of the bicycle. However, and like the patents to Pettinati and Ferri, the invention of Horton cannot be removed from the bicycle without the removal of the pedals or other portions of the bicycle so that the bicycle can be ridden without the hand powered device.
A common problem in the prior art is that when the hand power device or assembly has been attached to the bicycle, the device will continue to operate and the levers will be moved with the movement of the bicycle's pedals or bicycle's crank during travel. Thus, the hand power assembly of the bicycle will continue to move requiring additional leg power from the bicycle rider to move both the bicycle and the hand powered assembly when it is not being used. Also, the prior art hand powered bicycles leave the hand powered assembly in the bicycle rider's way when it is not being used, thus obstructing rather than supplementing the bicycle riding process.
Hence, a hand driving device for a bicycle is needed which can be quickly installed on a conventional bicycle, and quickly and easily removed from the bicycle so that if the bicycle rider does not wish to exercise his arms, or augment his pedaling efforts with arm or hand power, the assembly can be removed from the bicycle.